Matunuck Elementary School is an eye catching school full of life with the teachers, students and community. Located near the beach, this School is situated in a beautiful landscaped town. The elementary school is part of the South Kingstown School District. It is a great district, where children go to learn, and prosper later on in life. If you are looking for a great teaching career, look into the South Kingstown school district. All schools in the district have a safe location, where teachers can feel safe teaching and students can feel safe learning. One school teacher, Mrs. DeFeo gives input on the Matunuck school, and its' input in the community. On the school's website, the principal posted their informative mission statement. The first few lines of the statement, really incorporated what the school is about.
It is the mission of Matunuck School to have high educational standards for all students and commit to a comprehensive system of support to assure this outcome. We utilize standards and researched best practices to deliver and monitor student learning. We will promote hard work, accountability, and perseverance from students and ourselves. The school believes in students, and through hard work, and support, it is obvious that this school will allow its' students to reach success.
Matunuck Elementary School is known for being involved within the South Kingstown community. Besides information posted on the web, I have also spoken with several individuals that work or have children that go to the elementary school. Mrs. DeFeo, a fifth grade teacher at Matunuck states, "Out of the elementary schools I have taught at, Matunuck has one of the best with community involvement."(October 13, 2007) The parents in the classroom, work hands on in the school, making it possible for the children to learn and prosper. Besides the happy remarks of teachers at the school, Matunuck also in cooperates the community into its' events. Each year the Run 4 Kerry is held at Matunuk elementary(www.run4kerry.org) , where hundreds of people are able to use the school to race for a cause (www.run4kerry.org) .
The South Kingstown school district is located along Rhode Island's shore, and is close to the states SIC capital city, Providence. The town has the largest area in land, but does not have the largest population .(US Census Data). The district is composed of four elementary schools, two middle schools and one common high school. Unfortunately the school is mostly funded by the town's property taxes, which can cause problems in some situations such as the schools and their involvement/activities. Sports funding can be an issue, because it is not the first area of focus for the schools. Many other school districts in Rhode Island use town taxes to support school funding . This works in South Kingstown's favor due to the high property value, and higher than average income.(US Census Data) The census information demonstrates that property in South Kingston is at a higher value, which makes taxes greater on each piece of land. However, back in 2004, the district did have complications with funding and overall money. The district went from five elementary schools, to four. South Road elementary school was closed down, and the children were placed in other schools to make up for the school close SIC. The town did this to save money, and now schools are larger in size due to this past situation. Another problem from this situation, is that some children went from South Road to a local private school to get away from the town's financial crisis (http://www.schooldigger.com/go/RI/schools/0102000267/school.aspx)
Matunuck elementary school is in the South Kingstown school district. The school district is composed of 3912 students and 352 teachers(Information That Works) That is about an 11 to 1 ratio, making it an adequate ratio for students to receive and get help they need. This information was in the information that works website, showing how many students and staff members make up the South Kingstown school district. Referring to the elementary school state testing on reading and math, the children in grades 3-5 performed fairly well on the testing material. On average, about 50 % of the children scored in the proficient range in reading, math and writing. About 20 to 30 percent of the children performed proficient with distinction, and only 20 to 25 percent were below proficient. The area of study with least performance was writing during the 2006 and 2007 year. The high school was not as strong in state testing as the elementary school. Unlike the larger percentile with the elementary schools and state regulated tests, the high school scored between 40-55% in the proficient category. In comparison to the 2005 school year, the high school has significantly improved in all areas referring to the state testing statistics.(Information That Works) Unfortunately over twenty percent of the student body falls subject to the underdeveloped, or lacking proficient section. In this school district, eleven percent of the students qualify for reduced priced lunch, where 89% do not qualify or fall in this range. The South Kingston School District seems to face a 10% poverty rate based on the reduced school lunches. (Information That Works) This school system is not full of diversity such as schools located in Providence Rhode Island where over 58% of the school is Hispanic and only 13% white.(Information That Works) About 88% of the student body is white, 3% are African American, 3% are Asian, 2% are Hispanic and 4% are Native American.ESL is only provided for 1% of the district. Compared to other schools in Rhode Island, the South Kingston School District is 43% regent commended, where 57% of other school districts are commended over those in South Kingston R.I. This means that meets most of the NCLB standards. Three schools are known for being reagent commended in South Kingston. Broad Rock Middle, Matunuk elementary (SIC) and Wakefield Elementary school are Reagent's commended schools. However, the district summary for the school states that West Kingston Elementary and Peacedale Elementary schools are not reagent commended schools. The State of Rhode Island has an 18.67% of K-12 students with IEP's setting the standard. The South Kingston district is above this mark with 20.03% of students needing IEP's. (Information That Works)
Matunuck Elementary School is located in South Kingston Rhode Island. The school had 322 students, with 30 teachers. In comparison to all Rhode Island elementary schools, Matunuck exceeded the state norm. In mathematics the state was 56% math proficient, where Matunuck is 80% math proficient. When the state meets 65% proficient in Reading, Matunuck excelled with 76% proficient. (Information That Works) And finally in writing, Matunuck beats the state mark of 51% proficient, and is 77% proficient in writing. An important part of elementary school education is the attendance among the children. The Attendance rate target was ninety percent, and Matunuck hit an attendance rate of 96% during the 2006 academic year. In state testing, Matunuck Elementary was rated high performing and commended. Nine targets were evaluated, and out of the nine targets, nine were also met and achieved. Matunuck is not a poverty stricken school. 93% of the student body are not eligible for reduced lunch where only 7% meet the qualification. This average is lower than the other three elementary schools located in the South Kinston school district. The school population is not diverse either, where 95% of the student body is white, 2% is African American and only 3% of the student body is made if of Asian, Hispanic and Native American students.
The school also had a great turn out in their Salt Survey among teachers. 93% of teacher at Matunuck believe their job lets them use skills and knowledge. It is important that teachers believe in their job and outcome among students, because they are working with children, teaching them to learn and develop.http://infoworks.ride.uri.edu/2007/queries/FindDist.asp?District=32) Even more important, staff at Matunuck elementary responded at 100% that teachers on grade level respect each other's ideas and opinions. One hundred percent of the staff also reported that "there is a group spirit among the staff.( http://skschools.net)" It is fantastic that the school holds such a close bond. The stronger a connection the teachers have with each other, the stronger the connection the bond will be between students. According the the NCLB standards, Matunuck elementary school met 100% percent of the English/language arts standards where the state met a standard at 99.6%. The school also met a mathematic standard at 100%, surpassing the target rate of 95%.
Overall, the South Kingston School district will provide children with an adequate education. However, when choosing elementary schools, Matunuck Elementary School is one of the bests (SIC) for students. It is reagent commended, and met 9 targets out of nine in the NCLB act for 2006-2007 fiscal year. The teaching staff is very proficient in what they do, and they all believe and support each other. The community is also involved in this school, making it a safe learning environment. The only thing negative about Matunuck elementary is the lack of diversity. It is hard to have a diverse background and education with only 95% of the student body being white. It works out fine, but the children to lack a diverse background with each other. This quaint elementary school is definitely great for its' hard working and caring community. Matunuck Elementary school matched every target, in state testing. Matunuck Elementary School excelled in all testing areas, proving that the education program runs very smoothly at Matunuck. If you are looking for diversity among students at Matunuck, you will not find it, but if you look for compassion and success, it will be right in front of your eyes.
It is the mission of Matunuck School to have high educational standards for all students and commit to a comprehensive system of support to assure this outcome. We utilize standards and researched best practices to deliver and monitor student learning. We will promote hard work, accountability, and perseverance from students and ourselves. The school believes in students, and through hard work, and support, it is obvious that this school will allow its' students to reach success.
Matunuck Elementary School is known for being involved within the South Kingstown community. Besides information posted on the web, I have also spoken with several individuals that work or have children that go to the elementary school. Mrs. DeFeo, a fifth grade teacher at Matunuck states, "Out of the elementary schools I have taught at, Matunuck has one of the best with community involvement."(October 13, 2007) The parents in the classroom, work hands on in the school, making it possible for the children to learn and prosper. Besides the happy remarks of teachers at the school, Matunuck also in cooperates the community into its' events. Each year the Run 4 Kerry is held at Matunuk elementary(www.run4kerry.org) , where hundreds of people are able to use the school to race for a cause (www.run4kerry.org) .
The South Kingstown school district is located along Rhode Island's shore, and is close to the states SIC capital city, Providence. The town has the largest area in land, but does not have the largest population .(US Census Data). The district is composed of four elementary schools, two middle schools and one common high school. Unfortunately the school is mostly funded by the town's property taxes, which can cause problems in some situations such as the schools and their involvement/activities. Sports funding can be an issue, because it is not the first area of focus for the schools. Many other school districts in Rhode Island use town taxes to support school funding . This works in South Kingstown's favor due to the high property value, and higher than average income.(US Census Data) The census information demonstrates that property in South Kingston is at a higher value, which makes taxes greater on each piece of land. However, back in 2004, the district did have complications with funding and overall money. The district went from five elementary schools, to four. South Road elementary school was closed down, and the children were placed in other schools to make up for the school close SIC. The town did this to save money, and now schools are larger in size due to this past situation. Another problem from this situation, is that some children went from South Road to a local private school to get away from the town's financial crisis (http://www.schooldigger.com/go/RI/schools/0102000267/school.aspx)
Matunuck elementary school is in the South Kingstown school district. The school district is composed of 3912 students and 352 teachers(Information That Works) That is about an 11 to 1 ratio, making it an adequate ratio for students to receive and get help they need. This information was in the information that works website, showing how many students and staff members make up the South Kingstown school district. Referring to the elementary school state testing on reading and math, the children in grades 3-5 performed fairly well on the testing material. On average, about 50 % of the children scored in the proficient range in reading, math and writing. About 20 to 30 percent of the children performed proficient with distinction, and only 20 to 25 percent were below proficient. The area of study with least performance was writing during the 2006 and 2007 year. The high school was not as strong in state testing as the elementary school. Unlike the larger percentile with the elementary schools and state regulated tests, the high school scored between 40-55% in the proficient category. In comparison to the 2005 school year, the high school has significantly improved in all areas referring to the state testing statistics.(Information That Works) Unfortunately over twenty percent of the student body falls subject to the underdeveloped, or lacking proficient section. In this school district, eleven percent of the students qualify for reduced priced lunch, where 89% do not qualify or fall in this range. The South Kingston School District seems to face a 10% poverty rate based on the reduced school lunches. (Information That Works) This school system is not full of diversity such as schools located in Providence Rhode Island where over 58% of the school is Hispanic and only 13% white.(Information That Works) About 88% of the student body is white, 3% are African American, 3% are Asian, 2% are Hispanic and 4% are Native American.ESL is only provided for 1% of the district. Compared to other schools in Rhode Island, the South Kingston School District is 43% regent commended, where 57% of other school districts are commended over those in South Kingston R.I. This means that meets most of the NCLB standards. Three schools are known for being reagent commended in South Kingston. Broad Rock Middle, Matunuk elementary (SIC) and Wakefield Elementary school are Reagent's commended schools. However, the district summary for the school states that West Kingston Elementary and Peacedale Elementary schools are not reagent commended schools. The State of Rhode Island has an 18.67% of K-12 students with IEP's setting the standard. The South Kingston district is above this mark with 20.03% of students needing IEP's. (Information That Works)
Matunuck Elementary School is located in South Kingston Rhode Island. The school had 322 students, with 30 teachers. In comparison to all Rhode Island elementary schools, Matunuck exceeded the state norm. In mathematics the state was 56% math proficient, where Matunuck is 80% math proficient. When the state meets 65% proficient in Reading, Matunuck excelled with 76% proficient. (Information That Works) And finally in writing, Matunuck beats the state mark of 51% proficient, and is 77% proficient in writing. An important part of elementary school education is the attendance among the children. The Attendance rate target was ninety percent, and Matunuck hit an attendance rate of 96% during the 2006 academic year. In state testing, Matunuck Elementary was rated high performing and commended. Nine targets were evaluated, and out of the nine targets, nine were also met and achieved. Matunuck is not a poverty stricken school. 93% of the student body are not eligible for reduced lunch where only 7% meet the qualification. This average is lower than the other three elementary schools located in the South Kinston school district. The school population is not diverse either, where 95% of the student body is white, 2% is African American and only 3% of the student body is made if of Asian, Hispanic and Native American students.The school also had a great turn out in their Salt Survey among teachers. 93% of teacher at Matunuck believe their job lets them use skills and knowledge. It is important that teachers believe in their job and outcome among students, because they are working with children, teaching them to learn and develop.http://infoworks.ride.uri.edu/2007/queries/FindDist.asp?District=32) Even more important, staff at Matunuck elementary responded at 100% that teachers on grade level respect each other's ideas and opinions. One hundred percent of the staff also reported that "there is a group spirit among the staff.( http://skschools.net)" It is fantastic that the school holds such a close bond. The stronger a connection the teachers have with each other, the stronger the connection the bond will be between students. According the the NCLB standards, Matunuck elementary school met 100% percent of the English/language arts standards where the state met a standard at 99.6%. The school also met a mathematic standard at 100%, surpassing the target rate of 95%.
Overall, the South Kingston School district will provide children with an adequate education. However, when choosing elementary schools, Matunuck Elementary School is one of the bests (SIC) for students. It is reagent commended, and met 9 targets out of nine in the NCLB act for 2006-2007 fiscal year. The teaching staff is very proficient in what they do, and they all believe and support each other. The community is also involved in this school, making it a safe learning environment. The only thing negative about Matunuck elementary is the lack of diversity. It is hard to have a diverse background and education with only 95% of the student body being white. It works out fine, but the children to lack a diverse background with each other. This quaint elementary school is definitely great for its' hard working and caring community. Matunuck Elementary school matched every target, in state testing. Matunuck Elementary School excelled in all testing areas, proving that the education program runs very smoothly at Matunuck. If you are looking for diversity among students at Matunuck, you will not find it, but if you look for compassion and success, it will be right in front of your eyes.
References
(2007). Matunuck School. Retrieved 10, 2007, from Information that works Web site: http://infoworks.ride.uri.edu/2007/queries/FindSch.asp(2007). South Kingstown School District. Retrieved October 18, 2007, from South Kingston School District Web site: http://skschools.net
2007). District report cards. Retrieved October 18, 2007, from Info that Works Web site: http://infoworks.ride.uri.edu/2007/queries/FindDist.asp?District=32
(2007). School inquiries. Retrieved October 18, 2007, from Info that works Web site: http://infoworks.ride.uri.edu/2007/queries/FindSch.asp
(2007)Kids Count. Retrieved October 18, 2007, from Rhode Island Kids Count Web site: http://www.rikidscount.org/matriarch/default.asp
(2002). Run 4 Kerry. Retrieved October 18, 2007, from Run 4 Kerry Web site: http://www.run4kerry.org
(2005). Matunuck Elementary School. Retrieved October 19, 2007, from Matunuck School Web site: http://www.skschools.net/MT/
CR EVAL - KAELA D